


Surprise

by lindsey_grissom



Series: Scenes From A Life Together [4]
Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: F/M, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-08
Updated: 2018-03-08
Packaged: 2019-03-28 19:26:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13910592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lindsey_grissom/pseuds/lindsey_grissom
Summary: Pre-Series: Mr Carson finds the new Housekeeper looking after the middle Crawley daughter and a tradition is born.





	Surprise

“There you are.”

 

She looks up at his voice and he sees surprise on her face but not so much as he would expect. He wonders if perhaps she hadn’t forgotten their appointment at all, but rather, intended for him to come looking for her.

 

“Where else would I be, Mr Carson?“

 

Perhaps not then.

 

He takes another step into her parlour, his eyes drawn to the few of her own possessions that she has placed amongst the delicate china set on the cabinet that Mrs Raven left her.

 

How quickly he has begun to think of this room as hers, though she has only laid claim to it for a few months now.

 

“We had an appointment, Mrs Hughes.” He reminds her, as gently as he is able though the admonishment that slips in between the words is well earned. He is still caught between annoyance and concern; wavering in those moments of expecting her arrival and coming up short of it. It is unlike the woman he has come to know to forget anything to do with her work.

 

“Oh my! We did. I am so sorry, Mr Carson.” Her hand rises to her mouth and her eyes, so wide in her face now, fix him with their apology. Her honest horror at her mistake soothes him. “Perhaps we can talk later? After dinner, if you can spare the time?”

 

He can of course, especially as he has used the moments waiting for her to get ahead with the wine ledgers, however; “Why not meet now, Mrs Hughes? We’re both here.”

 

She twists further in her chair to face him, the angle looking almost painfully uncomfortable for her, with her desk facing the wall as it does. Perhaps when they have settled better into their new roles with each other, he will remind her of this moment, and how he had warned her not to position her desk in such a way, no matter that it gives her more room for the small table and chairs she set up.

 

“I doubt that staff schedules will be very entertaining for my guest, Mr Carson.”

 

She twitches her eyes then, with a tilt of her head, towards the small table to his right and he almost jumps, startled by the quiet figure curled primley into a chair.

 

“Hello, Carson.”

 

“Miss Edith. I apologise, I didn’t see you there.” He offers her a sort of bow, wondering even before he catches the sparkle in Mrs Hughes’ eyes, just what he’s doing.

 

The small girl frowns, before leaning over the notebook in front of her and scribbling furiously with her pencil.

 

He looks to Mrs Hughes and finds her biting her lip, no doubt fighting back a smile at his expense.

 

“Miss Edith has agreed to help me keep an eye on the maids this afternoon, Mr Carson. In exchange for a story and a cup of tea.”

 

“And biscuits."

 

Mrs Hughes does smile at this, and he finds himself captivated by the way her face softens as she nods at the small girl. "And biscuits, of course. Some of Mrs Patmore’s shortbread.”

 

The girl grins, an expression not often found on her features since her older sister outgrew the nursery, and turns back to her notebook again. He wonders what she has written about him, if she has somehow found him lacking, but brushes the moment of folly aside.

 

Taking the opportunity of the young Lady’s diverted attention, he steps closer to Mrs Hughes, coming up beside her and catching her grateful look as she rolls her neck. “Where’s Nanny?”

 

It’s quite improper for one of the family to be down here, even the girls, but he knows that with as often as Mrs Hughes has stumbled upon Lady Mary accompanying him about his rounds, anything he says on the matter will be brushed aside.

 

“She’s gone to bed with one of her headaches.” Her eye twitches and he suspects she is holding back the same urge to roll them as he himself does. “The baby is asleep, I’ve got Molly and Beth up there giving the whole wing a good polish,” she adds as he opens his mouth to object, “they’ll send for me if she wakes.”

 

“And Miss Mary?”

 

She does not resist the eyeroll this time, though she does look away from him. “‘ _Lady_ ’ Mary informed me that she is too old to be told stories, and that she would read by herself in the library until the dressing gong.”

 

That certainly does sound like the eldest Crawley daughter.

 

They are interrupted before he can ask her if she has the time to be acting as Nanny, by the small form of Edith stepping between them to place her notebook on the desk. “Done.” She states and he catches how her hands clutch at the folds of Mrs Hughes’ skirts.

 

Mrs Hughes smiles at her, reaching with one hand to flip open the book and tucking a strand of hair behind the girl’s ear with the other.

 

“Well then, I’d best take a look at what you’ve found out.” She leans down to the girl’s height to whisper just loud enough for him to overhear. “Anyone I should be particularly concerned about, Miss Edith?”

 

He watches with a peculiar pulse in his ears as Miss Edith fiddles with the fabric wrapped around her fingers, her bottom lip caught between her teeth in a very familiar way.

 

He should leave them be, now. It is obvious to him that the girl is uncomfortable, shy to be talking about this with him in sight. But he finds his feet immovable, his eyes unable to pull away from the little scene acting out beside him.

 

Mrs Hughes bends down further still, her ear to the girl’s lips and when she sits back up, her eyes are fairly laughing. With easy movements Mrs Hughes pulls the girl up onto her lap; her fingers must tickle at her waist, as for a moment the usually so serious child giggles and squirms in the housekeeper’s hold.

 

  
He wonders how he might have missed this, the soft familiarity between them; he cannot believe that this is the first time that Mrs Hughes has had the girl in her company, though he cannot recall any time he has seen them together himself.

 

He will have to watch her more closely, if he’s to ever know her at all.

 

“Mr Carson, I’m afraid it has been brought to my attention, that you are having trouble with your eyesight.” He can see the plea for him to play along, the doubt that he will. Perhaps they both have much to learn, if they’re to know each other well enough to keep Downton running smoothly, of course.

 

“Is that so, Mrs Hughes? Then I should take my leave and consider visiting the doctor.” He gives another bow, backing away from the pair and although their backs are now to him, he sees the way that Mrs Hughes curls more closely around the child, her hand touching at something on her desk. The notebook, no doubt.

 

He closes her parlour door on Miss Edith’s high voice explaining what she has written and takes a second to straighten the smile from his lips.

 

He will meet with her later, as she suggested, perhaps after she has completed her work and he has settled in his pantry for the evening. He believes she prefers whisky to wine, but he hopes to convince her of the pleasures of a glass of sherry after a long day.

 

Striding away, he heads for the back stairs; he might just take a walk through the library and then on up to the nursery wing. Just to see how her housemaids are getting along.


End file.
